The invention relates to a liquid sorbant, in particular for sorbing vaporous molecules having an electric multi-pole moment.
Further, the invention relates to a device for sorbing vapor from a gas source.
Excessive water vapor (H2O vapor) may be an undesired component that is present in many gas sources, including ambient air. In order to improve the quality of the gas source, the amount of H2O vapor should be reduced to acceptable specifications. Various technologies have been employed for H2O vapor removal including cooling of gas streams, or treatment with chemical solvents, physical solvents, adsorbants, absorbants and membranes. One traditional technique is liquid refrigerant expansion-compression air conditioning systems.
Furthermore, processes for removal of H2O from gas sources using liquid desiccants, such as lithium chloride (LiCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2), which contact a gas source containing a high percentage of H2O with an absorbent comprising the liquid desiccant, are known. The contact occurs at absorption conditions, to absorb at least a portion of the H2O vapor from the H2O vapor-containing gas source and forming a H2O vapor-absorbent complex. Afterwards, the gas source having a reduced H2O content is recovered, and the amount of H2O vapor in the H2O absorbent complex is reduced, such as by heating.
However, known liquid desiccants are corrosive and/or toxic and, thus, have a negative impact on the environment and may result in increased time and cost to manufacture and/or maintain devices for sorbing gasses. Also, conventional liquid desiccants contain solid, inorganic salts that may precipitate out at high concentrations and low relative humidity.
Although desiccation is referred to in various portions of the specification, the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Desiccation is a common adsorption process and is used as an exemplary adsorption process throughout the specification. However, the concepts recited herein and directed to desiccation are equally applicable to adsorption processes for other multi-pole molecules, such as CO2, etc. Thus, throughout this specification “water vapor” or similar terms may be considered to encompass other multi-pole molecules.